Anne I. “Annabelle” (Roche) Keohane, age 84, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family from a stroke on Friday, January 26th, 2024.
She is the beloved wife of 61 years to Daniel F. Keohane, devoted mother of Daniel P. Keohane, Thomas M. Keohane, Julie A. MacIntyre and her husband Kevin H. and Kevin S. Keohane and his wife Karen A. Loving Grandma of Haley A. MacIntyre, Connor M. MacIntyre, Aimee G. Keohane, Emerson N. Keohane, Victoria I. Keohane, and Jake F. Keohane. Beloved sister of William Roche, Francis Roche, Louise Graves, Joseph Roche, Mary Boyd and the late Thomas Roche. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Annabelle was born in Everett, Massachusetts on September 13, 1939 to Esther E. Roche and Thomas F. Roche of Merrimac, Massachusetts. She is the eldest sister of six siblings. Annabelle attended Saint James Central High School in Haverhill, MA. In high school, she was awarded a medal and certificate of superlative merit for having achieved one of the highest scores in the nationwide Latin test; Annabelle won this medal for three consecutive years and received an engraved medallion. She was the class valedictorian and upon graduating in 1957, she received a letter from John F. Kennedy congratulating her on receiving the most awards during the graduation exercises. She continued on to Catherine Labouré School of Nursing in Dorchester, Massachusetts where she obtained her nursing license and credentials. She received her bachelor’s degree from Salem State College and went on to earn her master’s degree from University of Massachusetts Lowell. She was the recipient of the May Futrell Scholarship Award.
On June 9, 1962, Annabelle married Daniel F. Keohane. Between 1966 and 1968 the couple went on to adopt 3 infants;
Danny, Tommy and Julie. They then gave birth to their son Kevin, in 1970.
They lived with their children in Lynnfield, Massachusetts for 29 years.
Annabelle’s journey through life was marked by a profound dedication in caring for others, a path she pursued through her vocation as a nurse. She spent the majority of her career at Massachusetts General Hospital, and later worked at The Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, Boston City Hospital and East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. In 1996 she received an Award of Excellence from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and that same year, received the Clinical Excellence in Nursing Practice Award.
After retiring from a lifelong career in nursing, she and her husband relocated to the Charlestown Navy Shipyard.
Together, they enrolled in the Harvard Institute for Learning and Retirement, where they taught and participated in classes between 2000 and 2018. Annabelle loved traveling with her husband and family.
They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2012 on a European Cruise with their children and grandchildren.
Annabelle’s hobbies were sewing Vogue designer clothes, cooking and caring for her six grandchildren. She was a lifelong reader of history, cuisine and travel.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Annabelle’s Funeral on Wednesday, January 31st, 2024 at 9 A.M. from The Carr Funeral Home, 220 Bunker Hill St. Charlestown followed by her Funeral Mass at 10 A.M. in St. Mary’s Church, 55 Warren St. Charlestown. Her burial will be at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. Her visiting hours will be held on Tuesday January 30th, 2024 from 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. in the funeral home.